


Dances With Spiders

by Skylar_Matthews



Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-11-04
Updated: 2014-06-14
Packaged: 2017-12-31 10:31:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1030650
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skylar_Matthews/pseuds/Skylar_Matthews
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another plot with Usagi, though I forget how this one came up. I don't even know how to explain it without giving away the entire plot (which kinda gives itself away early on anyway but this is one of those 'know the ending but enjoy the ride anyway' plots for us) so I'm just not gonna say anything except "have fun!"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Another murder.

 

Number 14 this time. The MO was the same although this time the victim looked to have been in a fight before dying.

 

Not that he anticipated that would turn up any substantial leads. The murderer had been far too clever to leave any clues so far and the poison seemed to operate on a time delay so it was immensely more probable that they would simply ruin the day of the mech wearing the shade of paint left clinging in scant chips to the victim's servos. Time for another run through the evidence.

 

~

 

Prowl had been appointed to the serial killer case after the 4th victim turned up. Poisoned with acid that ate away the victims' Energon lines from within. A wickedly devious brew that the labs had yet to replicate. Recalling an old case in Praxus, Prowl had requisitioned the information and upon examining it, had requested all reports on deaths in the rain from the major cities on the planet.

 

Thorough examination had found 8 more deaths across three other cities, Praxus, Kaon and Polyhex. They weren't entirely identical but did show a progression in the killer's manner of execution. Not a single clue was to be found though, even upon questioning of each medic examining one of the frames or those close to the deceased. There was too much variety in the choice of victims; different frame types, different locations, different habits, never a connection more significant than two who happened to frequent the same bar once an orn.

 

The lack of pattern was almost the most disturbing thing about the case. Almost never did a serial killer vary their victims as much as this. And never before across such a wide expanse as separated the four cities.

 

~

 

Victim 13, technically the 2nd killed in Iacon, had actually not turned up as one of theirs until a street harvester was stealing spare parts off bodies slated for the smelting pits. The femme had seen what turned out to be acid-melted Energon lines and alerted the nearest Enforcer. When Prowl heard he had sent a request she be pardoned for that crime, on the grounds that her discovery helped a homicide case. He did hope the experience had scared her out of crime but the odds of that were minimal.

 

13 was a mech who fit every stereotype of an abuser and he did it all; drugs, gambling, high grade, other bots. His official cause of death was falling from a balcony during a domestic dispute with his partner. The partner had been brought in for questioning but hadn't been charged for acting in self-defense. The dents and still healing scrapes that spanned the time frame of their entire relationship (about a quarter vorn) assured the mech would get to walk free and try to move on. (Which apparently he had; packing up and leaving town and essentially dropping off the face of the planet in the intervening time between then and Prowl's squad getting the case.)

 

~

 

"We're heading out now," a voice spoke from across the room, drawing Prowl's attention from the case files spread on his desk. As he watched, the femme walked closer as she continued to speak. "It's Quicklight's Creation Day celebration and the whole department is holding a party. You really should join us."

 

Sparing another glance down at the pages he'd been staring at for the entire cycle, Prowl ex-vented softly and nodded. "I suppose it wouldn't hurt to take a small break."

 

Standing as she smiled at him, Prowl shuffled the files together and slid them into a drawer. Then he walked towards the femme, who had stayed in the same place to wait for him, and he followed her out of the room.

 

~

 

The Praxian cringed as another loud, fast song came blasting out of the loudspeakers and sent ripples of too strong sensation through his doorwings. He had expected the party to be a simple get-together in the station, as such things often were. Instead, it had started there but not for long and he found himself dragged along to a nearby nightclub where the Energon was at least a grade too strong and the music far too loud. He’d come along and stayed to be polite but now every note of every song was another stab of pain along his sensor net.

 

Silently he managed to remove himself from what remained of their party, the other officers having moved to the bar or dance floor, and somehow made his way to an edge of the room where the decibel level was slightly more moderate. It wasn't a perfect fix, but he could still keep an optic on his fellows until it was a more socially acceptable time to leave.

 

~

 

This bar had quickly become somewhat of a second home for him. After a trying job, it was nice to find somewhere to unwind and just be himself for a while. The owner of the bar was already quite fond of him, along with some scattered acquaintances among the bar's usual patrons. But even home got boring without a change to the usual pace, which is why instead of chatting up the regulars he was silently purveying other potential options for entertainment. Most others seemed quite occupied in their own groups unfortunately. It wasn't until another group, Enforcers, showed up that things got promising.

 

General curiosity led him to find out that it was someone's creation day on the force which had brought them in. The party almost became boring with the group settling in to the same routine as most tend to in bars, at least until one broke off from the party in question looking downright irritated at even being there. Finally something to do.

 

The black and white mech made no hesitations in approaching the Praxian, determined to try to cheer him up, or at least get a little info on why he was even trying to be there in the first place.

 

"Ya know, bots usually come here ta get away from their misery, not to find more." He leaned against the wall, helm tilted just a bit to keep his gaze on the Enforcer as he spoke.

 

~

 

And just when he had managed to build an illusion of peace, it was shattered. A cursory once over of the mech was more habit of training than the scoping of interest it would be seen as from an average mech. Upon finding nothing of note; in this case no obvious weapons or poor attempts to conceal any, the officer finally spoke, his tone dull. “Can I help you with something?”

 

"I was hopin' maybe I could help you out." The visored mech replied. "It's a lot quieter in tha side room." Sure it was usually quieter because that's where most of the drug activity happened, but the usuals weren't due to come in until later so it was empty now. "I jus' don't wanna see an unhappy bot if I can try ta do somethin' about it."

 

“And naturally this has nothing to do with trying to persuade an officer to your favor,” Prowl responded blankly. The offer sounded nice but he refused to show any interest. “Or to the favor of this establishment... Now would it?”

 

"Yer job's yer business, I'm just tryin' ta help out." The other flashed a warm smile, trying to seem disarming enough to maybe get the other to drop his guard just a little. "How 'bout I try to persuade a casual friend to have a less miserable time. Name's Jazz, and you?"

 

The Enforcer did have to hand it to the mech, he was trying hard to be friendly. And even more surprisingly, this Jazz didn't seem to have an ulterior motive. Well, none that was apparent anyway... He'd need to keep an optic open for anything later but for now it might be alright to let another in enough for just a bit of conversation. Maybe it would even turn into enough of a distraction he could manage the rest of the night.

 

"Prowl," he answered simply. "Now tell me, why'd you seek me out?"

 

"I happened ta notice you looking downright miserable, an' I figured I could help." The statement was followed by a small shrug. "What brought you here anyway? No offense, but this doesn't seem like yer kinda place."

 

Prowl debated for a moment how much to share, but decided in the end that his coworkers would surely have spilled more information by the time they left (probably way overcharged, his processor ‘helpfully’ supplied) so he could answer that much. It wasn’t as though the fact they were celebrating wasn’t rather obvious enough.

 

“One of our junior officers’ Creation Day is today and the department thought it would be a good idea to host a small celebration.”

 

"Enforcers by day, party animals by night, who woulda' guessed," Jazz joked with a small chuckle. "So, would it be temptin' an officer, if I asked you ta join me for a drink? Your co-workers seem to be indulging themselves."

 

“Against better judgement they are,” Prowl agreed with a touch of scorn. “The older ones know better but find it a rite of passage to get the younger ones trashed and make them work the next cycle.” He spared a glance sideways at the other mech before continuing in a slightly warmer tone. “Although if a mech who knows their own limits and is still within functional capacity happens to find another such individual, a cube or two wouldn’t hurt.”

 

He grinned before waving over a waitress. "What's your poison?" Jazz was more than happy to currently be wearing his visor, allowing himself to appreciate his current company for longer than the other would have probably found comfortable.  
He gave his order first, a drink he had discovered in Praxus that had become quite a favorite to him. It was also a subtle nod to his level of cultural understanding.

 

Prowl made his own selection, a local brew that was highly refined yet actually closer to normal Energon than high grade, mildly surprised at the other’s choice and almost changed his pick but decided he would rather keep as clear a processor as he could manage. Although he did file away the knowledge for later to at least try this bar’s version of a drink from his home city.

 

“What brings you to Iacon then?” Prowl questioned when the waitress left for their drinks. “Yours certainly isn’t a standard frametype around here.”

 

"Job opportunities," Jazz started, giving himself some time to mull over some thoughts in his processor before continuing. "Iacon's a happenin' place, I figured it'd always have somethin' new for me. How 'bout yourself? From what I've seen yer a bit of a rarity around here yerself."

 

“Transfer request,” Prowl answered in the same concise manner as had been used to answer his question. “They’re rare for Praxus but not entirely unheard of and at the time I wasn’t of high enough rank to refuse.” That Iacon had proven to be more challenging and therefore far more interesting for him was left unsaid. “I stay because I’m good at what I do and I like seeing my work helping to change the city.”

 

Before Jazz had time to answer the waitress was back with their orders. He thanked her quietly before turning back to the main focus of his attention. "Must be nice to have a helpful impact in bots’ lives." He mused before sipping at his drink. "So what's yer thing?" He laughed a little at himself before rephrasing. "I mean what keeps ya wanting ta go in ta work every day? If it ain't too pryin'."

 

“I don’t understand,” Prowl responded. He had been about to take a drink but paused to answer Jazz’s question. “Isn’t the satisfaction of a job well done reason enough to continue returning to your function?”

 

The visored mech didn't bother trying to hid his smile. "I suppose. But what do ya do when you're not working? What d'ya do for fun?"

 

Prowl took a sip to buy a bit of time as he considered the questions. “I do have an interest in strategy games. I don’t know if you would call it ‘fun’, most mechs find them too complicated, but they’re relaxing for me.”

 

Another sip and he decided to add another question of his own. “What about you? I wouldn’t think you would spend all your free time at bars?”

 

"I find quite a bit to do with my free time. The bar scene gets old fast." He agreed with the other, contemplating a few strategy games he'd come across before. "I've even been known to play a game or two myself. 'm not too bad at hax myself, ever played?" He could feel the fuzzing effects of the Praxian high grade starting to take hold, allowing his inhibitions to slip ever so slightly, leaning a bit closer to the Enforcer to gauge any reaction.

 

Well that was a pleasant surprise and a genuine smile graced his faceplates. “I actually haven’t had the opportunity to try yet. Time and events conspired to prevent me doing so in Praxus and here in Iacon there’s no one else who cares to learn with me.” Jazz had moved slightly closer and while Prowl was rather acutely aware of such, he didn’t acknowledge it.

 

"Hmm..." He offered thoughtfully before turning to his drink for a moment. "That's a shame. Well if yer interested in learning still, I've got a bit 'a free time an' more than enough interest." It wasn't an outright invitation, more like yet another way to gauge the other's reaction. It was difficult to get a read on the mech, and with the promise of getting to know a genuinely interesting bot he didn't want to be too forward. The other seemed a bit too cautious for his usual methods.

 

“I will certainly consider the offer,” Prowl answered after a few nano-klicks. It was a generous offer, but not one he felt right in accepting too quickly. “If I do decide to take you up on that, how am I to even get in contact with you?”

 

The question was answered with a short wave transmission of his own com to the other to accept if he so chose. "Feel free ta bug me anytime." The visored mech offered, before finishing off his drink.

 

Prowl forced himself to take another swallow of his drink before accepting and filing the frequency so he didn’t seem overly interested. He felt strangely at ease around this mech and was curious to find out why, but he couldn’t completely ignore the nagging concern it was less himself and more the officer that was being seen in this exchange. It was something he’d have to pay attention to if he decided to take up the offer.

 

“So what do you do?” Prowl asked instead, steering the conversation in a slightly different direction. “I don’t believe you actually said.”

 

Jazz gave a small laugh at the question before responding. "I probably didn't. I'm not much of punch clock type. Actually my job is to find jobs." He grinned at the personal joke before explaining. "Well, I find bots for jobs, or jobs for bots. Independant contractor. If someone needs a bot for a job, they get ahold of me, or if a bot wants to re-locate or find better fitting employment, I do that too."

 

"That actually sounds rather interesting." The sentiment was genuine, though he was surprised to actually express it. Although the Enforcer was even more startled to find himself verbalizing his thoughts that followed, given they were drawn from the more professional side of his processor. "To succeed in such a profession you must have quite the system of contacts in the city."

 

"The job has quite a few perks in that regard," Jazz agreed. "I always tend to know someone who knows someone for any matter, and if not, then I get to meet someone new. Although the line between personal and professional contacts tend to get blurred a bit sometimes." It was only then that the black and white mech started to notice exactly how empty the bar was becoming, had they really talked for so long?

 

"I hope it's not too bold for me to guess you might run into the opposite problem?" He vaguely motioned to the ones left of the small party Prowl had come in with.

 

Prowl followed Jazz’s gesture and stopped to give the matter fair consideration before answering. “It is difficult to develop friendships outside the working relationship, for a myriad of reasons but most often because others seem incapable of seeing past the Enforcer colors to the mech beneath.” The comment was stated entirely neutral; giving away neither how habitual the lack of interaction was, nor how lonely, and the officer would have accompanied the words with a sip of his drink if not for suddenly finding it was empty. He spent no more than a single curious thought on when that had happened as his mind ran on how to continue the conversation.

 

Ironically the solution was provided mere klicks later when one of the femme officers approached the duo. “Hey Prowl,” she spoke, a bit giggly. “We're thinkin’ about leaving now. Were you still gonna come with to make sure everyone gets home alright?”

 

It took Jazz a bit of work to keep his demeanor from shifting at the unwanted intrusion. "Gotta go play sparklingsitter eh?" he joked, entirely ignoring the femme's presence. It wasn't often he took an instant dislike to a bot, somehow he could already tell he wouldn't be able to get along with this Enforcer though. Something about her got under his plating, and he wasn't about to spend the time trying to figure it out and spoil an otherwise nice cycle.

 

Prowl momentarily offered an apologetic expression as he answered Jazz. “I did promise I would see everyone home safely,” he responded. “The last thing our squad needs is drunk and disorderly officers.” Then he looked back to his fellow Enforcer and nodded. “I’ll be right along.”

 

Prowl had taken a couple steps before manners seemed to come back to him and he turned back. “I did enjoy the conversation and it served as a great distraction, so I thank you for improving an otherwise unenjoyable night.”

 

Prowl then turned again and took his leave. But not without a slight twitch of his doorwings, a subconscious asking for forgiveness for a situation outside his control.

 

Jazz responded with a "Later!" as the other mech left, confident that this wouldn't be the last time they'd see each other. He spent a few klicks saying his goodbyes to other friends who were still at the bar before starting off towards home, all but humming in happiness at the turn of events.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter because the cut point was either too long or too short and this part stands well enough on its own. The next part is going up as well though anyway.

It was a few orns later that Prowl found himself waiting outside the address Jazz had given for said mech to allow him in. He’d only just gotten there but he couldn’t help the faint nervous flick of his doors. Not only was a social meeting so far outside his comfort zone, this one had been pushed back because of work. Plus he still barely knew the mech and no matter how cheery Jazz had been about the need to change the plan, he surely didn’t like doing it, right?

Even with the extended time he was allotted by the other mech's work, Jazz was still rushing around last minute to prepare everything when Prowl arrived. Even as he opened the door and greeted the Enforcer with an enthusiastic hello, he couldn't help but worry about the little details of everything. Trying to impress bots wasn't a usual for him so for the first time in a long time the normally very social mech felt entirely out of his element.

"Glad ya made it, hope I ain't taking yer time from anything official." He motioned for the other to come in, already having a table set up with the hax board and some energon to be polite to his guest.

Prowl entered at Jazz's insistence with an, as he felt anyway, awkward greeting of his own. The room had the feel of a very recent cleaning and for a moment his Enforcer instinct started to wonder what might have been hidden but he quickly clamped down on the habit to peek around. Instead he turned his attention to the question that had been asked.

"I was recently called in to help on a case but we won't be receiving the autopsy results until the morning so there was nothing to be gained in staying and reviewing the case files again. The probability of finding any new data from the files alone is only about 1%, and that's being optimistic." Prowl couldn't help a casual glance around the room again before looking Jazz over once, quickly. "I'm sorry. You're probably not interested in that are you? We can speak about something that does interest you."

“Nah, I don’t mind. I’ve been fortunate enough not ta have ta worry about the messy side a the law. Mostly I jus’ gotta smooth out certifications and paperwork fer others, so it’s interestin’ ta hear.” The mech hoped that would be enough to keep Prowl talking so he wouldn’t have to search for a new topic of conversation. Most bots he could figure out easily enough to bring up topics of their interest so to keep saying anything about himself to a minimum, but Prowl seemed almost as adept at keeping himself a mystery as Jazz himself.

"That's approximately the extent of information I'm authorized to share in any case." Prowl wasn't sure why, but Jazz's response made him happy. Sure it was only his word on it, but it was a pleasant thought to be able to find a friend in someone who (probably) wasn't on the wrong side of the law. None of his thoughts showed through though as he continued speaking. "It is an open investigation and we can't afford any information leaking to the public. It's nothing against you personally; we do hardly know one another however and you certainly have enough charisma to be a reporter."

Jazz couldn’t help but grin at the, what he guessed to be, compliment.”The only reportin’ I ever do is boring corporate jargon. I leave all the excitement ta other bots. Tha’s part a the curiosity I suppose.” He motioned to the table for the both of them to sit down, continuing his musings all the while. “It’s prolly all in a day’s work fer you though.” The visored mech paused for a moment to contemplate before finally asking. “I hope ya don’t mind me askin’, is there any interesting case you would be willin’ ta share sometime? Ya never get ta read from an insider perspective about any a the going’s on an’ I’ve always wondered what it’d really be like.”

A moment’s hesitation and then Prowl took the offered seat as Jazz asked his question, his response coming out almost immediately. “Officially it’s considered highly unprofessional if I were to divulge any information on cases that isn’t already public knowledge. However, I have known more than a few Enforcers who disregard that thought when it comes to close friends.”

It wasn’t a never. It was a slightly hopeful maybe. Just not right now.

“So,” Prowl began, dropping his glance to the game set out between them. “How does this work? I trust you’ve read the instructions…”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, two chapters because the cut point was either too long or too short and the previous part stands well enough on its own.

"Be careful. I don't want anything to happen to my favorite Enforcer."

It had been nearly a deca-orn since he had bid the other black and white that goodbye, and nearly a deca-orn of silence from that very same mech. Jazz had spent some of that time trying to convince himself that Prowl was just busy.

Finally he got up the nerve to comm.

:Hey, jus' makin' sure yer alright...:

No answer... But he wouldn't worry. Nope. There was no need to worry. Prowl could take care of himself and it wasn't like he was purposely ignoring him... right?

Jazz let more time pass before finally admitting to himself he was actually worried.

:Just checkin' in but... umm... yer not mad at meh fer some reason?:

Still nothing. Ok, maybe he had been out of line with his last goodbye. An apology would clear the air then.

:Sorry if I upset ya. I didn' mean any thin' by it. Hope yer ok.:

By this time Jazz knew he was becoming irrationally paranoid, but Prowl was typically very punctual with his replies and the lack of anything from the other mech was just plain unnatural.

:Even if ya hate meh now please jus let me know yer not offline or somethin'... Please...:

~

It had been roughly a metacycle since he'd last seen Jazz -since he'd had to cut short one of their gaming sessions because of an emergency call- when Prowl was finally able to get back to his waiting comm messages. There was the predictable slew of well wishes from the other officers in the precinct, which he swiftly went through and erased after a glance. They were generally mass-messages, sent to every bot involved in the incident, and he had never responded to them anyway so no one would think anything of it. He was, however, surprised to find that still left several unchecked messages in his queue. A secondary look through revealed why. Or rather who.

Jazz had left him several messages, starting one decaorn after their last meeting which would coincide with the first game night he missed. The officer felt a pang of regret at that thought but he’d been preoccupied with a different sort of tactical challenge at the time.

Suddenly missing his friend (and if they weren’t friends after several metacycles then he really had no idea what to call it), he opened the first message. Listening to the first quickly became the second and on until he’d heard them all. Of course, like much of his time with the other mech, Prowl was left more confused by the end. Why could Jazz possibly think he’d done to be hated?

It was quite the opposite in fact…

Prowl knew he should respond back, perhaps send a message to let the other know everything was fine but what would he even say? And really that would be lying anyway, and that was part of the reason why he’d been stalling on checking his queue in the first place...

Still, Jazz didn’t deserve to be left in the dark with no knowledge...

Decision made, Prowl stood and made his way out of his home.

~

It was only a few breems later that Prowl was standing outside a now very familiar door, waiting and nervous in a way he hadn’t been since he’d first stood there. The trip over had seemed even shorter than usual and he still wasn’t entirely sure what he would say but the one thing he did know was this was a conversation best had face to face.

He had known better than to get his hopes up, but when Jazz had heard a knock on his door the mech had all but run over to the door, hoping beyond hope that the very being on the other side would be the one who had been occupying far too much of his processor for far too long.

"Prowl! You're!..." The black and white mech began his greeting enthusiastically before realizing that the other might not share his excitement for their meeting.

"It's uhh... good ta see ya." He finished lamely, tilting his head down to look at the floor waiting for the expected bad news.

“Jazz,” the Enforcer began, far too happy that the other black and white had opened the door at all much less was still speaking with him but the emotion died quickly with Jazz’s tone. Apparently he wasn’t as immediately forgiven as a small part of him had hoped for.

“I’m sorry,” Prowl began again when Jazz didn’t say anything more. “I know it’s late but I finally got to check my messages and- 

“Perhaps this isn’t a conversation to be had out here, so, if it’s not intruding too much, do you think we could take this inside?”

He gave a nod before leading the officer into his house, steeling himself for a moment to try to explain. "No, I'm sorry, I kinda crossed tha line with tha' last comment ah made before ya left an' ah thought maybe ah made ya upset at meh fer it but ah mean ah really do like you an' ah was jus' worried after hearin' er'ythin' an'..." By that time Jazz was rambling almost uncontrollably, his Polyhexian accent becoming more pronounced as he continued on.

Prowl followed stiffly; every other step almost hesitant as he babied some recent welds in one leg. He had to focus on following Jazz so much that he almost didn't hear what he was even saying but when he did process it Prowl stopped short.

So Jazz thought his goodbye had offended him? That would explain some of his messages at least, but the exact opposite was true. That simple statement had been quite spark-warming. Now he just had to convince him of that.

"Jazz," he called gently, one arm coming up subconsciously to reach out to him. "You didn't upset me at all. It was a bit out of place but I've come to expect that from you and I actually found it to be a sweet gesture."

"'m really glad ta hear that." Jazz seemed to light up after the other's comment, his usual easygoing smile returning. With the air cleared, at least enough to make Jazz more comfortable the black and white mech took the initiative to give his friend a hug. "An' I'm more glad yer back." He added before pulling away. "So what happened anyway? Don't think I didn't notice ya limpin'."

Prowl only barely managed to hold back his wince at the contact. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the sentiment, but his still healing injuries were already sore. And then Jazz hit on that very subject with his question and, though he’d been planning to tell him, Prowl suddenly felt a bit defensive. “It’s nothing too bad, I promise.”

Thinking about his injuries though cause him to reflexively twitch one of his doorwings, where there was still the uncolored patch of a recent weld. “I’ve recovered from worse before. It comes with the job.”

It was impossible for Jazz not to worry, despite the other's assurances. "Still maybe you should sit down." He insisted, ushering the other to the nearby couch before he could give any protests. "Ya want anythin'?" It was probably a good idea to try to play accommodating host before probing the Enforcer for details about his adventure. 

Prowl wasn't about to argue as Jazz directed him onto the couch. Apparently he had misjudged how much energy the drive over would take and now that everything was settled between them he could feel the exhaustion setting in. He definitely needed to rest a while before he could even consider making the trip back, but hopefully he wouldn't have to encroach too much on his friend's hospitality.

"I'm fine," he answered Jazz's question, "but I wouldn't be opposed to you joining me on here?" It was both a question and statement, so Jazz could refuse if he wanted, though Prowl hoped he wouldn't. After so long dealing with only other Enforcers and then a none-too-small collection of medics it was nice to be wrapped in a field where the bot was actually concerned over him personally. If he had the mental capacity to consider it he might have been embarrassed at the comparison, but the only better feeling was returning home to a lover to wash away the pains of the previous metacycle. For now though, he just hoped he could have the next best thing.

Jazz complied without any hesitance, settling near the other comfortably. "Well how 'bout I get some 'a the details? If yer allowed ta say anything..." He tried to keep his curiosity down, but seemed to be failing. "Or a movie... I just got a few new ones..."

"I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to share yet. Nor how much you really want to hear as I was mostly just planning the infiltration," Prowl mused as he settled in more on the couch, unknowingly letting his field open a bit more than usual. "But if you really are interested I don't mind telling you some of it."

"I know it ain't like the movies, but your life seems a lot more interestin' than mine, so I'm always glad ta hear what you got to say." He offered hopefully. It was stranger to think of Prowl being out of his life for so long than it was having the Enforcer suddenly so close, which made it even more impossible to keep himself a friendly distance from the other. Needless to say the Polyhexian had missed his friend greatly, but after the incident with his less-than-appropriate farewell he didn't want to make things awkward, even if all of him just wanted to be close to the other black and white mech.

Oblivious to the other's inner turmoil, Prowl was fighting his own slowly losing battle. There was nothing he wanted more than to curl up with Jazz and just forget anything else existed for a while, and in his current state of exhaustion and pain it was getting harder and harder to remember why that was a bad idea. Trust was a rare commodity outside any precinct, sometimes hard earned in them too, but Jazz had gained his. That he was here while still recovering spoke volumes alone, much less allowing his awareness to drop so that he had to rely on the other for a warning if anything bad happened. But just how do you even go about explaining such a thing to someone who has never had to risk their life or worry that this might be the orn they offline for good?

"No, it's really not," Prowl commented instead of mentioning anything else in his processor. "They tend to cut out all the 'boring' parts where we have to wait and plan. And there aren't nearly as many armed confrontations as the movies would have you believe." Sadness filtered into his field as he continued, exhaustion helping his thoughts drift along the comparison between reality and fiction. "And they get the circumstances of offlining completely wrong. All too often we lose officers working solo and even when they aren't there's almost never time for last words or farewells."

That... was a bit heavier than he had expected, but understandable given the other's line of work. Still, what was there to say after such a mood change?

"I'm sorry." Jazz started, cautiously picking his words, and just as cautiously reaching out to offer a comforting touch. "I'll be here if ya need me fer anything." It wasn't much, but Jazz still didn't know what had happened so he didn't want to assume anything and possibly ruin the other's mood more.

Carefully Prowl leaned over to give Jazz what amounted to a slightly awkward hug since they were both still seated. "I'm alright now, just remembering when I initially lost my first partner, and mentor... That was a couple centuries ago now, but it's just one of those things you never completely get over."

He ex-vented softly before forcing his emotions back down. "I apologize, that was unnecessary information. This previous encounter went well enough and the worst of us injured have all been released from the medics' care already."

"I'm here fer anything ya need, I promise." Even though Jazz wasn't too sure how to help or if he was helping at all, he was willing to do anything Prowl would want after such a stressful time. "But 'm glad it went ok." 

He moved in closer, partially leaning on the Enforcer, trying to be careful of his wounds, before offlining his optics. If comfort was what Prowl wanted comfort was what he was going to give.

"Just... stay with me for a while?" The question was voiced softly and would never have left his vocalizer if not for the combination of exhaustion and emotional turmoil he'd been under. Try as he might to stay strong, Jazz had a way of getting past his guards and now, with a mech he might actually be able to trust, Prowl just couldn't hold onto them. As he held onto the other mech, the officer felt his mental shields slipping away along with a number of stresses he hadn't even realized existed coming undone. The experience certainly wasn't pleasant but the end result was strangely calming. Almost relaxing even. Or maybe that was just how nice it was because of the who. Either way, Prowl was slowly drifting in the silence, just enjoying a state he hadn't experienced in a long time.

~

Prowl woke with a start some time later, almost jolting to stand but the unresponsive receptors in his legs stalled that command long enough to prevent the action. He had to cycle his optics online and off a few times before he could make sense of his surroundings. It seemed to be a home but he knew he’d left his and he only ever worked himself offline sitting up while at the station when there was a big case. So coming online here, in unfamiliar territory, had him more than a little concerned and his defensive protocols began to initiate before he got enough sense of mind to realize just where he was and cancel the command.

“Jazz?” he called out, unsure of where the other mech might have gone. He wasn’t entirely certain how he would explain his breach of social etiquette but an apology would surely be foremost when Jazz turned up.

"Welcome back." Jazz joked, stretching from his curled position on the remainder of the couch. "I figured ya might need tha rest so I didn't wanna wake ya," he explained, giving a rather tired grin himself. "If yer stil feelin' exhausted yer welcome to recharge in mah berth, I wouldn't want ya drivin' if ya don't feel up ta it." Well that, and Jazz didn't want to have to say goodbye to his friend just yet if he didn't have to. Being around Prowl was always nice and their time together always seemed too short.

“I…” Prowl didn’t know what to say to that so he quickly settled on the apology he had planned to offer. “I’m sorry about that. I didn’t realize I was so low on energy…” He let his comment trail off as he resolutely tried to not focus on the offer Jazz had made. Sure he was still exhausted, not noticing Jazz right beside him was only the biggest indicator of that, but it made him feel extremely awkward to consider occupying his friend’s berth. Subtle thought threads tried to open and auto-closed tied to that thought and he tagged it as something to think over again later when he was more fully functional.

“How long was I offline?”

"Not too long, maybe 5 songs," the visored mech tried to assure. "An’ ya don't have to apologize fer anything, 'm glad yer even here at all. Makes me feel important." He gave a small laugh to try to ease any tension in the air.

Prowl nodded, debating standing again but his frame protested even the thought and so he gave it up. Instead he arced forward to stretch a few kinks out of his wires, reflexively flaring his sensor panels as well which drew a slight hiss from him. He’d forgotten how sore one of the hinges was.

Settling back against the couch again, he took a moment to really study Jazz for any signs he was overstaying his welcome but couldn’t find any. That caused his spark to do a happy flutter in it’s casing, which he also tagged to figure out later. “I am sorry though. It was not my intention to come over here just to fall offline on you. I would have just stayed home if that was in my plans.”

"An' leave me ta worry outta my processor?" he teased lightly. "Yer welcome over any time, an' in any state, so ya don't gotta apologize ok?" Jazz decided to make himself get up, maybe he could get the other to go rest so he wouldn't have to worry about Prowl trying to drive home. "So how 'bout we jus' call it a sleep-over? I'll take us out fer breakfast in the mornin' an everythin'."

"You don't have to do that. I wouldn't want to intrude," Prowl tried to say but it was a losing battle. Even as he thought the words contentment settled into his field and the officer ex-vented softly after a moment.

"How do you intend this to work out?" Prowl finally managed to ask. It wasn't quite how he intended to ask but hopefully his meaning was clear enough. "Do you even have room for me?"

"Even if I didn't I'd make room. But don't worry, I like luxury so we can both fit... Unless ya want me on tha couch since I know ya like yer personal space sometimes." Jazz offered a servo to help Prowl off the couch as he spoke barely realizing how awkward his proposal could seem until he said it.

“I…” The awkwardness was certainly not lost on the Enforcer and he stumbled mentally to try and find Jazz’s motive and intent. It was a clumsy and decidedly awkward mental track in casual situations, but it was a familiar in a safe way. Thus far Jazz hadn’t shown any improper intent and though he had little experience that didn’t mean he couldn’t notice the behaviors…

At that realization a small part of him resonated sadness and he stopped to consider it for a moment. Did he want anything more than friendship? He hadn’t even considered the option and he had no easy answer so the thought was set aside for later. The offer seemed safe enough to accept with no strings attached, and Jazz certainly didn’t seem the sort to randomly decide to molest an officer. Finally he managed to speak. “I think I wouldn’t mind the company. Your presence is... oddly comforting.”

With that bit of potential awkwardness settled, everything was back to normal, at least for Jazz. "Well c'mon then you look like yer about ready to crash."

He led the other to his berthroom, giving a bit of a 'ta-da' as he opened the door before all but rolling into his berth, which was as he'd said plenty big enough for the both of them. "Hope ya don't mind that I like tha window side, I've never been one ta sleep close to tha door." He gave a bit of a shrug with the comment, waiting for Prowl to get comfortable.

For all the times Prowl had visited, this was his first occasion to see Jazz’s berthroom and so the slight ceremony to present it drew a slight chuckle even before the antics that got Jazz onto his berth. The berth itself was far larger than he’d expected, even with the commentary that they would both fit as they could both, conceivably, fit in his and it was much sizably smaller, and left him wondering for a moment how it had even fit into the apartment before he pushed the thought away. It was also surprisingly soft, he found, as he climbed in to join Jazz and the exhaustion prevented him from keeping in his surprise.

“I’m impressed,” he admitted as he settled in. “Non-winged frames don’t often care for this level of comfort.”

"I like ta treat myself when I'm home, since my job has me stayin' who knows where, who knows when at times." He confessed, vocalizer already slurred with sleepiness. 

"Must be exciting, or at least always interesting," Prowl commented more to respond than as an actual question. Even in his state of repair it sometimes took him longer than most to cycle down. Tonight didn't seem to be one of those nights though and as he lay there he was quickly drifting off and he never even heard if Jazz replied.

**Author's Note:**

> Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure this came up from 'let's reflect the plot of meet 'n greet' but don't think too hard on that if you want any surprises. Not that there aren't a few planned that we don't make obvious beforehand....


End file.
